“It sounds like if your white uncle fucked the House of Blues.” —Jensen Karp describing Bruce Willis’ failed attempt as a musician on The Fogelnest Files

“I’ve fallen into a beautiful thesaurus!” —Pete Holmes, You Made It Weird

“But you get the sense that back then, in the early ’70s, Woody Allen would screw your brains out like a little mouse.” —Judd Apatow on Woody Allen being a sex symbol, Comedy Bang! Bang!

“It was a reaction to bad improv… because improv is very funny if you cut out all the parts that aren’t funny.” —Jonathan Katz, on the impetus for Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist

NEW (TO US)

Pop My CultureThe landscape of pop-culture podcasts is plentiful and varied, but many of the best-produced shows only discuss a certain slice of high-minded cultural topics. Pop My Culture, hosted by Los Angeles actors Cole Stratton and Vanessa Ragland, is not that kind of show. Instead, it features a Sklarbro Country-esque rundown of pop-culture topics deemed too outré for other cultural-commentary programs.

But Pop My Culture doesn’t condescend to the trashier news stories. It engages them with an infectious fervor. When Parks And Recreation dynamo Retta was a guest a few weeks ago, she spun off on an incredible tangent about Oprah, citing a distinctly uncomfortable moment on the show when Anne Hathaway refused to talk about her process, and how Oprah buried the hatchet with an old friend during her final season in Chicago. That kind of material just doesn’t show up on other cultural podcasts that are either too highbrow to even acknowledge such topics or too focused on stabbing away with jokes to have a reasonable conversation.

This week is the show’s celebratory 100th episode, which features “Weird Al” Yankovic. Yankovic turns out to be a rather serendipitous landmark guest, because he’s so familiar with so many different niches of culture that he can find a funny comment for just about anything. It’s a standard blend of laid-back entertainment interview and cultural riffing, but with a purposefully wider purview. [KM]

OUTLIERS

Baseball History PodcastThe approximately 8,600-hour runtime of Ken Burns’ Baseball is a testament to the sport’s seemingly endless supply of (mostly mustachioed) idols, creeps, weirdos, and villains. The game’s long history—combined with the unique opportunity it offers society’s strangest, shortest, and fattest to excel—gives backward-looking shows like Baseball History Podcast a wealth of material to work with. Unfortunately, the podcast’s most fun element is usually the episode titles, as the program focuses on ballplayers with absurd names like Stuffy McInnis, Orval Overall, Happy Felsch, and Hoot Evers. Host Bob Wright gives overviews of the careers of both well-known and forgotten players, but reads the brief monologues with a level of excitement typically reserved for a public-library storytime reading by an exhausted, elderly assistant. There are interesting baseball tidbits, like the Dom DiMaggio episode that reveals the youngest DiMaggio’s 34-game hitting streak was fittingly ended with a shoestring catch by Joe DiMaggio, Dom’s more talented, Marilyn Monroe-balling brother. The sleepy show’s archives have been regularly updated since 2006, which may be the podcast equivalent of Cal Ripken Jr.’s consecutive-games streak. Sadly, the show’s episodes creak along at the snail’s pace of Ripken in his final season. [TC]

THE BEST

The Best Show On WFMUOver the past several weeks, The Best Show has seen a slew of guest appearances, from regulars like Kurt Braunohler to more established names like Tim Heidecker and Chris Elliott. Sometimes the combination is just right, though, and this week’s episode, which features Jason Woliner and Andy Kindler, is a perfect example. Woliner, known for his work on Human Giant and Eagleheart, calls in early to chart the downfall of his T-shirt business, JeShirt.com. And comedian Andy Kindler’s call is exceptionally charming, his chemistry with Tom Scharpling lending the conversation a childlike quality, as they trade jabs at Pauly Shore and discuss ’80s stand-up comedy. Jon Wurster’s scripted call as Gar McDaniel, rock legend and author of Pound Of Flesh, caps off the most memorable episode since Hurricane Sandy knocked WFMU off the air. [AF]

Comedy Bang! Bang!#188: Attack Of The Shits: Judd Apatow, Jessica St. Clair, Graham ParkerIt’s a strange mix this week on Comedy Bang! Bang!: Filmmaker Judd Apatow, bubbly Earwolf intern Marissa Wompler (Jessica St. Clair), and musician Graham Parker—though Parker doesn’t do much besides play a song at the end. He has a role in the new Apatow film This Is 40, and Wompler would definitely be interested in any and all roles he might have available as well. She has an update on her love life as well, which involves a lot of scissoring with Gutter Balls. As usual, Wompler is a delight, and Apatow is unsurprisingly game for anything. (His repeated self-sabotage in Would You Rather? is one of the funnier parts of the segment.) Apatow mentions that Anchorman 2 is currently being written (and will hit theaters next Christmas), but the more exciting news may be that a Wompler-Listler Christmas special is coming soon on Earwolf. [KR]

Doug Loves Movies: Tig Notaro, John Hodgman, Nick Kroll and Kurt Metzger The presence of John Hodgman seems to inspire everyone on the panel to try and one-up each other in terms of movie and pop-culture esoterica. Well, except Tig Notaro, whose heightened indifference provides hilarious punctuation throughout the extended movie-chat segment. Seating the erudite, competitive Hodgman next to the resolutely apathetic Notaro makes the Leonard Maltin Game a bit of a foregone conclusion, but it’s a fun ride nonetheless, even if Nick Kroll and Kurt Metzger are mostly relegated to the sidelines. But the interplay between Notaro and Hodgman—whom Notaro describes as looking like her father dressed for a funeral—is the highlight of this strong episode. [GK]

The Fogelnest Files#12: Do The Rap!Jake Fogelnest’s niche is largely defined by his ability to dig deep into the realm of the culturally obscure with seemingly little effort. As a result, this week’s show—a look back at scenes from the more tenuous days of hip-hop—definitely plays to his strengths. Rap aficionado Jensen Karp proves good company, matching Fogelnest’s infectious enthusiasm by sharing the details of his own self-described obsessive relationship with the genre. Highlights include discussions of Arsenio Hall’s drawn-out tenure as overweight rapper Chunky A, and the surprising origin of the “My name is…and I’m here to say…” standard. Though the episode suffers from some uneven pacing and misjudged forays into more inaccessible content, it more than makes up for it with a vivid sketch of a strange, volatile moment in hip-hop history. [AB]

Hang Up And Listen: The 138! EditionAfter considering the depressing prospect of Notre Dame’s ascendency in college football, the HUAL crew shifts into a great episode for hoops fanatics. First up is an interview with Dave Arseneault, Jr., the associate coach for tiny Grinnell College in Iowa, which won national attention last week when guard Jack Taylor scored a record-shattering 138 points in a single game. Arseneault explains how Grinnell’s unusual uptempo scheme, involving full-court press and hockey-like substitution strategies, made Taylor’s performance possible. The gang then brings on the Houston Rockets’ brilliant GM Daryl Morey for a conversation about his shrewd use of advanced basketball statistics and the calculated offseason gambles that led to a Jeremy Lin-James Harden backcourt and an anxiety-ridden draft pick in Royce White that’s led to controversy. [ST]

How Was Your Week#90: “Night Trote”: David Rees, Laura BenantiJulie Klausner begins her interview with David Rees, author of How To Sharpen Pencils, by telling him she’s unsure if is his passion for pencil-sharpening an ironic art project, a piece of cultural criticism, or an earnest endeavor. For Rees, this a common question, and he tells Klausner how a series of personal struggles—disillusionment with writing his political cartoon Get Your War On, a divorce, going broke, a job at the U.S. Census—planted the seeds for his unlikely turn as a professional pencil-sharpener. It’s a compelling interview, and one that shines light on the serious underpinnings of a seemingly silly undertaking. For the second half of the show, Klausner welcomes actress and “new best friend” Laura Benanti for a delightful conversation that focuses mostly on Benanti’s career on Broadway, her awkward childhood as a Broadway fanatic, and the time that she went drinking with Patti LuPone. [DF]

Judge John Hodgman: The Statute Of Physical LimitationsIn “The Ironman Trial-Athlon,” perhaps the most controversial case in Judge John Hodgman history, Judge Hodgman ruled against a would-be Ironman Triathlon racer who sought to break a promise to his wife in order to pursue this latest step in his quest for personal betterment. The ruling brought him no end of Internet grief, but he returns to similar territory for “The Statute Of Physical Limitations,” another case of a person trying to keep their spouse from participating in an athletic event. But all precedent goes out the window here, as a chronic Lyme disease sufferer seeks to overcome her debilitating pain by joining her brother in the “Tough Mudder” competition. Her husband cites concerns about her health and the overall lameness of the event, but it’s a weak case, giving Judge Hodgman plenty of room to joke about “tick farms” and handlebar moustaches. [ST]

The JV Club #38: Tess RaffertyThere’s no cootie-catcher or MASH played in this episode, but games are Janet Varney’s entry point to her guest’s adolescence in this particularly nostalgic conversation with former The Soup writer Tess Rafferty. Discussion of board games like Trivial Pursuit and Life begins a dialogue that includes the pros and cons of Barbie, the origins of snobbery, and the mysteries of tight-knit suburban communities. While a lot of time is spent discussing Rafferty’s current career track (she released Recipes For Disaster: A Memoir this fall), both she and Varney look at their current positions through the lens of what they had hoped for their futures as children. What happens when you turn your childhood passion into a job? It’s fascinating to hear the two talk about how making money from something you love can become suffocating. [OS]

The Mental Illness Happy Hour#88: Fred StollerThe Mental Illness Happy Hour’salternate title could be My Fucked Up Parents. The parental gift of dysfunction is a regular theme on the show, which often features comedians talking about their troubled parents without the benefit of tension-relieving punchlines. On the unique program’s 88th episode, Fred Stoller speaks extensively about the terror instilled in him by his mother. Stoller starts slowly, but begins to open up about the anxiety and fear he continues to deal with as a result of an upbringing filled with talk about death and failure. Once Stoller begins to talk about the emotional scars left by his mother, he sounds hesitant to let the conversation end, as if he’s working through the issues in his own mind. That level of honesty and vulnerability is admirable. It also makes for an interesting listen. [TC]

Mohr Stories#110: Mick Foley“Mickey Foley is just as cool as you think he is,” says Jay Mohr midway through an informative chat with the pro-wrestling hero, who has created an improbable second career as an advocate and best-selling author of books for adults and children. The engaging Foley opens up about enduring pain and damage for a living, takes a cursory look at his author job, and spends more time discussing his side gig as a popular stand-up comedian and spoken-word raconteur. The most extensive segments cover his breakout appearance in the classic wrestling documentary Beyond The Mat (in which he emerged as a family man with an unusual occupation) and how his Tori Amos fandom led him to volunteer for RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network). Foley fans have heard some of the anecdotes before, but like his Hell In A Cell matches, they still entertain as repeats. [DXF]

The Moth: Janna Levin: Life On A Mobius StripJanna Levin’s Moth story runs a little long, isn’t especially tight, and all in all doesn’t have that many arresting images or laugh lines to string listeners along. That said, a little patience eventually pays off here, as Levin plots a slightly convoluted tale combining an eccentric boyfriend and Levin’s work as an astrophysicist. Though it takes a while to come around, Levin’s story makes compelling use of an esoteric theme—that of coming back around to the point where you started. [SG]

My Brother, My Brother And Me#130: Holy TerrorThe humor of My Brother, My Brother And Me is generally based in absurdity and silliness, and there’s a fair amount of both in this week’s episode. However, there’s also a thread of cringe humor that gradually escalates throughout the 50 minutes. It starts early, with a Yahoo! Answers question from a “Teen Baby,” continues building with riffs on the potential sexual subtext of gifting scented lotions to one’s grandparents, and culminates with the brothers mocking the very idea of a product that may or may not be designed to comfort Army wives. The very welcome return of an Extreme Restraints advertisement, in which the McElroys illustratively hawk sex-aid oddities, fits in nicely as well. Their usual aesthetic still suits them best, but it’s a welcome and very funny change of pace. [CG]

Nerdist #287: The HivesWith the release of this year’s Lex Hives, Sweden’s The Hives reestablished themselves as one of garage rock’s most thoroughly entertaining acts. That’s due in large part to vocalist Pelle Almqvist, whose enigmatic stage presence has cemented the group as a consistently powerful live act. So it’s fitting that Almqvist and guitarist Vigilante Carlstroem prove to be equally entertaining as guests on the Nerdist. The hosts do a great job of discussing the band’s career progression without letting the episode veer into a nuts-and-bolts summary of The Hives’ accomplishments. Instead, the slight deviations into topics such as Swedish cultural norms and musical exports in the way of punk and hardcore offer up a multifaceted conversation that’s enjoyable for fans of The Hives, as well as those interested in what the names of Ikea items actually mean. [DA]

Nerdist #289: Maria Bamford Returns!In one of the most intimate episodes of Nerdist in recent memory, Maria Bamford’s return visit starts light before quickly delving into her recent battles with depression and mental illness. Bamford and Hardwick talk frankly about her struggles over the last year, and even when the episode hits crushingly low points, it never comes off as wallowing. Instead, the two find ways to openly analyze these situations and feelings, all the while offering enough humor to make it all seem strangely hopeful. During the interview, the building that they’re recording in has an emergency siren go off several times, and as annoying as it sounds, it proves to be a nice break from the seriousness of the conversation, with Bamford and Hardwick riffing about the situation in stride. It’s an incredibly personal and evocative episode of Nerdist, displaying Bamford’s strength, humor, and humanity in equal measure. [DA]

Never Not Funny#1123: Shrinking To Fit With Jonathan Katz And Tom SnyderOn the podcast rounds to promote the new animated web series Explosion Bus, co-creators of Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist Jonathan Katz and Tom Snyder stop by the Never Not Funny studio for a rare dual appearance in the driest episode in recent memory. That’s to be expected with Katz, a “comedian’s comedian” known to make Steven Wright look like Robin Williams, but Jimmy Pardo plays down to his energy level, staying mostly in his role as charmed interviewer. Backstories on Dr. Katz and Snyder and Katz’s work history may not grab listeners, but the affable guests’ peppering of stupid/clever jokes and slow-burning sarcasm should more than reward the patient. [SM]

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Sklarbro Country#122: A Woman Like That: Jonathan Katz, Tom SnyderOf all the guests to send the Sklars into fits of infectious laughter, Jonathan Katz and Tom Snyder, co-creators of landmark animated series Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist, are without a doubt the most subdued and low-key. Marc Maron got Loren Bouchard’s side of the show’s history in an interview that also covered Home Movies and Bob’s Burgers, but Snyder and Katz provide the rest of the details behind the hilariously understated animated show. The Sklars do well when they’re at once reverent of and fascinated by their guests, and this interview is a wonderful example of that. [KM]

Sklarbro CountrySklarbro County #27: Maria Bamford, Dan Van KirkThere’s one huge reason to listen to the Sklars interviewing Maria Bamford: precious tidbits of information on the new season of Arrested Development. Bamford was offered a role in the Netflix revival—the Sklars discussion of auditioning vs. getting offered parts is insightful and funny—and reveals some tiny little details. Namely, she doesn’t know how many episodes she’ll be in, because the minor characters weave in and out of a larger main story. The rest of the episode is full of great banter, but the Arrested Development information makes it a required listen. [KM]

The Smartest Man In The World#185: WalkersRarely does a week go by on Smartest Man without Greg Proops mentioning baseball. His love for the game’s minutiae is infectious, and his gut-busting beginning, about a series of insults banned by the league in the 1890s, sets the tone for the rest of the show. Even discussion of Occupy Wall Street’s altruistic reaction to Hurricane Sandy is peppered with slurs from the 19th century. The letters section at the end goes back to baseball as well, with Proops fielding a team made entirely from the current Supreme Court justices. (Sotomayor is the pitcher; Scalia, of course, is right field.) Proops’ fantasy teams have been an ongoing joke for months now, but his delight in the material keeps it fresh. [NC]

Stuff You Missed In History Class: Gertrude Bell: The Uncrowned Queen Of Iraq, Part 2A British adventurer and diplomat who helped shape modern Iraq, Gertrude Bell was a fascinating personality known for bringing people together and taking monumental risks. She managed to escape ruthless tribes and assist archaeologists and intelligence officers in cataloging cultural knowledge that otherwise would have never reached the Western world. Problems in her personal life open this second part of her story, which details her failed marriage. Hosts Deblina Chakraborty and Sarah Dowdey wisely sidestep any subjective problems with Bell stirring up British loyalties in the Middle East and focus instead on the great chaos in the region at the beginning of the 20th century. It’s impressive that Bell was able to track and credit the ability of Arabs to govern themselves against British rule, and her perseverance makes a worthy tale—one that may soon star Naomi Watts, according to the hosts. [DT]

Stuff You Should Know: Philanthropy: Humankind And Loving ItThe poorest Americans contribute the highest portion of their income to charity, a fact that comes early in the episode and sets the tone for a surprisingly revealing topic. The amount of money flowing through charities is staggering, but so is the number of recipient organizations. Discerning listeners who want to give but are skeptical of how these organizations spend their money will be eager to learn about guidestar.org and the beginning steps of filling out tax form 4990. It’s a remarkably upbeat episode, and hosts Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant are at the top of their conversational game. The hosts take plenty of time to poke fun at the old-timey tradition of grifting and the obnoxious hypocrisy of proud corporations, while extolling the value of running a charity well and being generous. [DT]

This American Life#479 Little War On The PrairieThis week’s podcast is a particularly brutal reminder of America’s past, tracing the roots and outcomes of the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. It’s the 150th anniversary of the Dakota people’s fight for sovereignty in Minnesota, which led to the hanging of 38 Dakota warriors, the largest single-day mass execution on U.S. soil. Ira Glass mostly sits this one out, but John Biewen, a native Minnesotan, powerfully traces the double-dealing and outright racism of the white settlers that culminated in the eruption of violence on the plains. It’s a stark reminder that the Midwest was no better in its treatment of Native Americans than other parts of the country. Even Abraham Lincoln’s reputation doesn’t emerge unscathed: It was his presidential order that hanged the 38 men as retribution for the violence. [NC]

The Thrilling Adventure Hour#97: Behind The Scenes At TAHThrilling Adventure Hour returns to the writer-on-performer interviews with Paul F. Tompkins and Paget Brewster, who star in the show’s best-loved and funniest segment, “Beyond Belief.” Tompkins and Brewster’s blatantly flirtatious onstage chemistry carries over just enough to the interview, making for an amiable discussion with show writers Ben Acker and Ben Blacker. But more importantly, it’s always compelling to hear the Thrilling folks pick apart the bizarre mix of elements that inform the show, from The Thin Man to Tompkins’ love of acting dismissive. [SG]

The Todd Glass Show#75: Jen Kirkman and Jake FogelnestThis week’s episode features a first-time guest (Jake Fogelnest) and a repeat offender (Jen Kirkman), both of whom have the advantage of being fans of the show and familiar with its haphazard format. Since both Fogelnest and Kirkman know what they’re getting into, they have no problem diving right into the podcast’s various silly bits. They especially take to a recurring bit where Todd Glass pretends to be a confused caller with a high-pitched “hello?” It’s clear that Glass feeds off of his guests’ exuberant enthusiasm, and the fact that each of his sound cues sends them into perpetual giggle fits results in a consistently fun episode. [MS]

Uhh Yeah Dude#349With only a handful of regular features and the hiatus of Seth Romatelli’s Canceled Sitcom Corner, there are few landmarks to track the Uhh Yeah Dude landscape episode to episode. That’s no mark against the show, but it does mean that the chemistry of the first five minutes rarely fails to predict the hour that’s to come—because UYD is all chemistry. Which is why it’s nice when an episode takes a sharp left turn. After an excellent, Romatelli-heavy 40 minutes of reality-TV fact-checking, Robin Williams-bashing, and theme-restaurant eulogizing, Jonathan Larroquette steers the final third of the episode into an extended discussion of sex-bots, and the yawning maw of oblivion that awaits humanity when the technology finally comes to market. [CW]

Walking The Room#131: Dolphin Tail And The PileWalking The Room is where discarded ideas and outlier opinions go to hang out, and it’s rarely better than when the juxtaposition of two disparate items push riffs into new territory. This week, the confluence of fashion and primal instinct drives the episode. A comment on Greg Behrendt’s mohawk leads to the creation of his UFC character (as if it were WWE), named “Cardigo,” and judging by his surprisingly devoted attention, Behrendt could spend the whole hour discussing the inner workings of the furry convention that took place at Dave Anthony’s hotel. The two get out of step as Behrendt pushes Anthony on a trip to Burning Man and a male strip club, though he may be right in suggesting the show’s place there. [SM]

Who Charted? #104: Hardwickipedia: Chris HardwickIt’s no surprise that head Nerdist in charge Chris Hardwick does well within Who Charted?’s format. Given his extensive experience chatting with luminaries of stage, screen, and music, Hardwick knows how to keep a conversation moving while inserting jokes and asides with an almost surgical precision. Hardwick’s presence is a nice change of pace, his strong broadcaster sensibilities relieving Howard Kremer and Kulap Vilaysack of the responsibility to drive the conversation. Plus, Hardwick can give Kremer a run for his money when it comes to goofy tangents, especially during the music chart, when he mentions that Muse would be the perfect soundtrack for a movie’s action sequence, assuming that the scene involved the robbery of “a bank of E.T.s” [MS]

WTF With Marc Maron#337: Ed CrasnickAntagonistic episodes of WTF, where Marc Maron has to prod and poke his guest into being honest and achieving some level of depth, can be a mixed bag. But comedian Ed Crasnick isn’t such a pushover, and he counters Maron’s initially dismissive attitude by getting increasingly philosophical, and their discussion dives down a rabbit hole that winds through a lot of personal baggage. The best part of their discussion touches on the difference between getting into comedy to make people laugh and needing to do comedy as a form of personal expression. It’s no surprise that both Crasnick and Maron fall into the latter category. [KM]

WTF With Marc Maron #338 J MascisA founding member of legendary indie-rockers Dinosaur Jr.—and with great solo albums and production credits to his name as well—notoriously difficult interviewee J. Mascis joins Marc Maron for an incredibly thorough conversation. Maron lets his admiration for Mascis show, and his directness keeps the episode from stalling. Instead of running from it, Mascis seems grateful for Maron’s appreciation of his work, as they go back and forth about Dinosaur Jr. ’s history and current state. Maron’s disjointed interview style seems to keep Mascis on his toes, and he offers up stories from both his life and career with ease. The fact the episode ends with an acoustic performance from Mascis is all the better. [DA]

You Made It Weird#150: Aisha TylerLike any longer episode of You Made It Weird, this one with actress and comedian Aisha Tyler occasionally threatens to lapse into drawn-out, super-earnest Pete Holmes introspection. More often than not, the two manage to avoid that simply by keeping up a punchy, choppy rhythm and embracing a fair amount of infantile dick humor. Holmes and Tyler deserve credit for talking for so long about their differing approaches to masturbation without getting too creepy, and it’s hard not to enjoy an episode on which a guest calls herself a “Negress Chris Hardwick.” [SG]

THE REST

Monday Morning PodcastThis week’s episode is perfectly listenable and entertaining, but ultimately pretty middling. The most notable bit—a thorough bashing of Kobe Bryant—is humorous, but it also feels somewhat rehashed and easy. [CG]

Nerdist #288: Mel BrooksPerhaps it was the hype surrounding the episode, but at nearly two hours, this Nerdist is far too drawn out for its own good. If Brooks’ anecdotes were strung more closely together it would surely function better, but at this length, it’s for diehards only. [DA]

Professor Blastoff#80: Honesty With Missi PyleReformed liar Missi Pyle is warm and confident in her trip to the remote hatch, but the nature of truth vs. lie proves too flat to warrant the episode’s anecdotal tangents. [SM]

Stuff You Missed In History Class: A Comanche Story: Cynthia Ann Parker, Part 1As sometimes happens with this podcast, Part 1 of Cynthia Ann Parker’s fascinating abduction will be recapped in Part 2, the part that will appeal to more casual listeners. [DT]

Stuff You Should Know: Why Do Leaves Change Color In The Fall?The hosts admit there’s not much to discuss here, and most of the leaves are already on the ground by the time they’ve gotten around to this unremarkable topic. [DT]

You Made It Weird #149: Kurt MetzgerThings start off uncomfortable when Kurt Metzger repeatedly declines to apologize for his dog biting Pete Holmes, and get more so as Metzger—who uses a vaporizer throughout the episode—bloviates on various eyebrow-raising views, like his claim that men fucking little boys is common in Arab countries. It’s somewhat interesting in its trainwreck-iness, but the laughs-to-bullshit ratio is far too low. [GK]